Rotary engine

ABSTRACT

Fluid-pressure operated rotary engine has annular rotor mounted to rotate in an annular chamber in fixed housing, rotor having plurality of peripherally spaced internal cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands for rotational engagement on cyclindrical hub having peripherally spaced radial slots. Fluid-pressure medium efficiently and effectively fed through hub to said radial slots urges slide plates radially outwardly for cam engagement with cam surfaces and lands with rotation of said rotor induced by predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium being by-passed through slide plates to the cam cavities. Outlet passage means in rotor controls removal of expended fluid-pressure medium from cam cavities.

llnitetl States Patent 1 Meacham June 24, 1975 1 ROTARY ENGHNE 22 Filed: Apr. 9, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 349,904

Related 1115. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 237,815, March 24,

1972, Pat. N0. 3,778,199.

1/1966 Hanson 418/238 Hanson 418/238 Meacham 418/104 Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Attorney, Agent, or FirmWilliam Cleland 57 ABSTRACT Fluid-pressure operated rotary engine has annular rotor mounted to rotate in an annular chamber in fixed housing, rotor having plurality of peripherally spaced internal cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands for rotational engagement on cyclindrical hub having peripherally spaced radial slots. Fluid-pressure medium efficiently and effectively fed through hub to said radial slots urges slide plates radially outwardly for cam engagement with cam surfaces and lands with rotation of said rotor induced by predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium being bypassed through slide plates to the cam cavities. Outlet passage means in rotor controls removal of expended fluid-pressure medium from cam cavities.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEET PATENTEDJUH24 I575 3 o 8 m a SHEET PATENTEDJUN 24' I975 8 4 w a 3 I a I H x J 3 w W 0 a .II, a, 4 Z 2 1 /W 4 E a Mi w y M fi a H lic noranv ENGIINIE This application is a continuation-in-part of US. application, Ser. No. 237,815, filed Mar. 24, i972 now US. Pat. No. 3,778,199. I

BACKGROUND or INVENTION l leretofore, fluid operated rotary engines have been suggested in various forms, utilizing fluid admitted through a passageway in a rotor shaft and vanes provided with valve slots. One such rotary engine, for example, utilized a relatively rotatable hollow casing having a relatively fixed rotor mounted within the same. Application of fluid pressure through and aganist radial vanes mounted within cam recesses :in the casing caused the latter to rotate with referenceto the rotor. Such devices have had no known practical application in practice, however, mainly because pressure fluid was free to leak from one cam recess to another, with resultant inefficient operation due to excessive back pres sure created within the active cam chambers. In addition, a substantial loss of pressurewas apparent or possible, due to leakage of the same past the bearing surfaces of the rotor and'the casing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A The fluid-pressure operated ,rotary engine of the present invention utilizes a cylindrical affixed with respect to a fixed housing, and defining an annular chamber within said housing and an annular rotor mounted in said housing to rotate in the annular chamber. A plurality of peripherally spaced cavities in the rotor define cam surfaces btween'intermediate bearing lands which are in rotational engagement with said cylindrical hub, which is provided with peripherally spaced radial slots of predetermined radial depth opening toward said chamber. Slide plates radially slidably received in said radial slots have end portions adapted to ride over saidlands and the cam surfaces between the lands, upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber, and conduit means connected to the hub or shaft thereon provides a continuous supply of fluidpressure medium centrally through said hub to said radial slots, for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward fluid sealing engagementwith said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor. The slide plates also have passage means for by-passing a predetermined proportion of fluid-pressure medium to leading sides of the slide plates in relation to clockwise direction of rotation of the rotor, whereby the by-passed pressure medium buildssufficient pressure within corresponding cavity portions to rotate said in clockwise in forward direction, Outletpassage means is provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluidpressure medium from said cam cavities at the trailing sides of said slide-plates. v

The arrangement is such that there will always be at least one slide plate moving in a cam cavity to accomplish continuous rotation the rotor in forward direction. The improvedstructure of the invention makes it possible to providefluidsealing means to prevent leakage between the cam cavities for efficient operation of the motor. Improved means are also provided for at taining maximum efficiency in the operation of the engine, by controlling the manner-in which spent fluid pressure medium is conducted from the cam chambers.

Objects of the invention will [be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawmgs:

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating one embodiment of the improved pressurefluid actuated rotary engine, in which an annular rotor has been rotated to a position of rotative operation with respect to a hub affixed to a fixed housing, by application of fluid pressure against one of a plurality of radial slide plates.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of a pressure controlled sealing means to prevent passage of pressure fluid between adjacent cam chambers in the annular rotor.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the rotary engine, substantially as viewed on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, illustrating the rotary engine with the rotor in an advanced position of rotation in clockwise direction, in which fluid pressure is being applied to a second radial slide plate.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, illustrating a modified form of slide-valve plates and related struc tures.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the valving and sealing means at the left of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings generally, and to FIGS. 1 and 4 in particular, the numeral 10 designates a rotary engine for operation in a manner to be described by means of pressurized fluid, such as steam, gas, or other such available pressure medium, utilizing the principle of mechanical advantage to gain increased power from a relatively small degree of fluid energy. For this purpose, the engine 10 may include a relatively fixedly mounted, hollow drum-like housing 11 having nonrotatably affixed thereto a central cylindrical hub 12 of relatively small diameter, and defining, within the housing, a closed annular chamber 13 in which drumshaped rotor 14 is complementally interfitted for'rotation in clockwise direction with particular reference to the stationary hub 12, as indicated by feathered arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. Bearing means for this purpose is designated by the numeral 16. A central power shaft 15 may be affixed on the rotor 14, to be rotatable therewith in suitable bearing means 22, 22 on an integral extension 23 on the fixed drum housing 11, whereby the rotor 14 is freely rotatable within the closed annular chamber 13 (with a normal sliding fit). The fixed hub 12 presents a smooth cylindrical outer surface 18 for rotation within cylindrical inner wall surfaces of the rotor 14, to define a plurality of closed, fluid-sealed chambers 19, 19 encompassed by axially spaced, parallel side walls 20, 20 of the respective chambers and said smooth, cylindrical, bearing surface 18 of the fixed hub 12 (FIGS. 1 and 4).

Radially slidably mounted in fluid-sealing reltionship in peripherally spaced radial recesses 24, 24, provided in said fixed hub 12, may be a plurality (two being shown) of slide valve plates 25, 25. Inner ends of the recesses 24 communicate with a supply line 26, from a source of pressurized fluid medium (not shown), through a central axial passage 27 and radial passages 28, 28 in the hub 12. The arrangement is such that a limited supply of this fluid medium will urge the slidevalve plates 25 radially outwardly, toward fluid sealing engagment of outer edge portions of the respective plates with complementally shaped cam surfaces 19a, 1%, or 18c, as the case may be, upon relative rotation of the rotor in a manner to be described. For this purpose, each valve plate is provided with passage means or passages 29, 29 of total minimum flow area less than the flow areas of the respective radial slide recesses 24. The fluid medium entering said slide recesses from the radial passages 28 provides adequate pressure to urge the valve plates radially outwardly toward fluid sealing engagement of the outer edge portions of the respective valve plates with the inwardly presented complemental rotor surfaces, particularly including the cam surfaces 19a, 19b, and 19c, and intermediate bearing lands 21, 21, as best shown in FIG. 1. Passage means 29, 29 of substantial flow area is also provided radially through each valve plate 25, calculated to permit sufficient pressurized fluid medium to enter the respective cam chambers 19, at a forward or leading side of at least one slide-valve plate 25 exposed within a chamber, to build up pressure within the respective cam chamber, thereby to rotate the rotor 14 in clockwise forward direction, as indicated by feathered arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus, with use of a lesser number of slide-valve plates than cam recesses, and with continued pumping of pressurized fluid medium through the passage means 29 of slide plates 25, there will always be at least one slide-valve plate 25 operating within a cam chamber 19 (see FIG. 1). When the rotor 14 is continuously rotated by the means described, the valve plates will be radially reciprocated, successively to pass from one cam recess to another.

As each slide-valve plate 25 enters a given cam chamber 19 as described, fluid pressure is built up therein at the leading side of the respective plate 25 to urge the annular rotor 14 in said clockwise direction, while all residual fluid remaining in the same chamber 19, at the trailing side of the respective valve plate 25, will tend to be forced outwardly of the cam chamber 19, through an exhaust outlet passage 30 in the rotor, thereby to be discharged through peripherally spaced, V-shaped vanes 32, 32 in an annular grate 31 which is affixed in an annular space 33 in the stationary motor housing 11, to carry the discharge away in given outward direction through an annular exhaust passage 34 in housing 11 and a connecting outlet extension 35. For this purpose, each cam chamber 19 may be relatively wide at the leading end thereof andtapered sharply toward the trailing end of the same, to provide for efficient discharge of the aforesaid residual fluid through an exhaust passage 30 in the rotor 14, the annular passage 34 and connecting outlet passage 35 to the exterior or otherwise. It will be readily apparent, by reference to the drawings, that the structure described lends itself to provision of appropriate seals between the moving parts in known manners, to prevent or minimize fluid leakage and thereby increase the efficiency of the motor.

With continuous passage of pressurized gas, air, or other fluid medium, through the slide-valve plates 25, in succession, pressure is built up at the leading side of at least one plate 25 at all times, to accomplish continuous rotation of the rotor 14, and thereby to provide driving power for substantially any purpose through rotation of the output power shaft 15 with rotor 14. By particular reference to FIG. 1, it will be readily apparent that because the driving pressure is applied within cam chambers 19, located at a substantial radial distance from the axis of the fixed hub 12, the effective force applied rotation of the power shaft is relatively high in reference to the pressure of the fluid medium applied against the leading sides of the slide-valve plates 25, due to application of the principle of mechanical advantage. Similar application of this principle can be utilized in motors of substantially any size.

For facilitating effective and efficient removal of the spent gasses from the cam chambers 19, an annular grate 31 including a plurality of closely spaced V- shaped vanes 32 may be affixed in an annular space 33 in the housing 11, between the rotor 14 and the respective annular discharge passage 34. the vanes 32 are arranged as best shown in FlGS. 1 and 4 to direct the spent gasses in given peripheral direction toward the discharge outlet 35. Means may be provided to improve the efficiency of the motor 10, by preventing passage of the fluidpressure medium between the rotor 14 and the hub 12. To that end, V-shaped annular sealing rings 37, 37 of resilient elastic material, such as rubber, may be mounted in the rotor 14, to be spring pressed against the flat opposite sides of the hub 12, at or near the cylindrical bearingsurface of the hub, the rotor side-walls 20, 20 being made in sections to facilitate assembly with such sealing rings located as described. Likewise, for sealing against passage of fluid-pressure medium from one cam chamber 19 to another, straight T-shaped sealingbars 38 may be mounted in complementally shaped recesses 39 in the rotor at each bearing land 21, intermediate the chambers 19. Passage means 40 connects each recess 39 with the leading end of a next adjacent cam chamber 19, so that pressure medium from the respective cam chamber applies pressure against the cross-bar piece of the sealing bar to hold the inner stem end of the same in sealing engagement with the smooth cylindrical surface portions 18 of the rotor. If necessary, the slide-valve plates may be provided with suitable, resilient, fluid-sealing means to prevent unwanted passage of fluid medium from the slide-valve recesses 24 to the trailing sides of the plates 25, which would otherwise reduce the efficiency of the motor.

To facilitate machining the rotor 14, and assembly of the same on the hub 12, the axially spaced sides 41, 41 thereof may be in the form of superposed inner and outer disc-like plates 42 and 43 removably secured together and connected to the ringlike, chambered part of the rotor, as best shown in FIG. 3. For this purpose, each inner plate 42 may be in the form of a central disc part 44 and an outer annular part 45. With use of this structure edge portions of each said plate part, of plate 42, may be complementally shaped to retain a V- shaped annular seal 46, of suitable resilient material compressed by a coil spring 47, thereby to maintain a pointed edge of the seal in fluid-sealing engagement with a peripheral surface portion of a corresponding one of the axially spaced ends of the hub 12.

These seals 46, in conjunction with the T-shaped seals 37 at the lands 21, are adapted to prevent loss of fluid-pressure medium from the cam recesses 19, during power movement of the rotor induced by pressure against the leading sides of the respective slide-valve plates 26.

On use of the rotary engine described above, to drive or operate any power driven device (not shown) suitably connected to the power shaft 15, pressure-fluid medium is continuously supplied through the supply conduit 26, passages 27 and 28 in hub 15, constantly tending to urge the valve plates 25 radially outwardly, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Pressure fluid bypassed through the end of any valve plate exposed within a cam chamber 19 enters such recess to force the rotor in the forward direction indicated by feathered arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. It will be readily apparent, by reference to these two drawing views, that there will always be at least one valve plate presented within a cam recess, and that rotation of the rotor 14 will be constant as long as the fluid pressure medium is supplied as described. The efficiency of the rotary motor is greatly enhanced by the aforementioned sealing devices which prevent leakage of fluid medium from the respective cam chambers, and by the efficient means for controlled conduction of spent fluid medium from the cam chamber 39, to the discharge passage 34 through the vanes 32 of the annular grid 31.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is illustrated a modified form of the engine, wherein slide-valve plates 25a, are slidably mounted in radial recesses 24a, 24a, as before. The radial recesses, however, are presented in planes which extend in parallel to each other, from opposite points or lines at the cylindrical surface of the hub 12, and at equally spaced distances from the axial center line of the hub 12, to pass at opposite sides of the axial bore 27. This improved arrangement of the radial recesses 24a makes possible the use of slidevalve plates 25a of greater radial extent than shown was possible with the corresponding arrangement in FIG. 4, for example, and lengthening of the slide-valve plates 25a in turn permits further projection of the the same into correspondingly deeper power chambers 19d. Moreover, the power chambers 19d may be provided with cam recess portions 19c, which are even deeper at the leading ends thereof, thereby to conserve the pressure fluid medium with resultant increased efficiency. Moreover, the improved operating angle of the slidevalveplates 25a, as shown, makes possible a very efficient contact between the outer ends of said plates and the cam surfaces 19c for highly improved smoothness in operation of the motor. This smooth operation of the motor may be further enhanced by rotatably retaining cylindrical rollers 25c in the outer ends of the slidevalve plates, for smooth fluid-sealing contact with the cam surfaces 19c and the lands 21 between the next adjacent power chambers 19d. Each said land 21 may be apertured for anchoring, complemental reception of a rounded edge 38a of an axially elongated blade 39a of wear-resistent resilient, plastic material, for fluidsealing engagement with corresponding axial extents of the smooth cylindrical surface of the hub 12. The resilient blades 39a are shown as having a tapered trailing edges 3% adapted to be sufficiently exposed to pressurized fluid, within the next adjacent power chamber 19d, for maintaining said blade in effective fluidsealing engagement with said smooth surface of the hub 12.

Operation of slide valve plates 25a in planes which by-pass the axis of the rotor 14, as shown in FIG. 5, allows the valve plates to enter the power chambers 19d with maximum smoothness. Moreover. location of the valve plates to by-pass or get away from the center of the rotor makes possible the use of deeper radial recesses 24a and longer valve plates 25a, which in turn makes possible the use of deeper power chambers and a greater selective variance of shapes thereof, as for the purpose of conserving the pressurized power fluid.

The resilient rotor seal 39a, as best shown in FIG. 6, is designed to provide maximum fluid seal at the lands 21 between adjacent power chambers with a minimum of frictional wear on the rotor seal.

The motor described above,- in connection with FIG. 5, is otherwise operable in the manner and for the purposes described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4, and like parts have been given llike numbers unless otherwise designated.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims. It is readily apparent, for example, that variations in the number and proportions of the slide valve plates 25a, and the recesses 24a for the same as best shown in FIG. 6, presupposes that the term radial includes appropriate convergence with reference to the axis of the rotor toward the common conclusion or result sought to be accomplished by movement of the valve plates.

What is claimed is:;

l. A fluid-pressure operated rotary engine comprising: a relatively fixed hollow housing; a hub nonrotatably affixed to said housing, and having an outer cylindrical surface defining an annular chamber within said housing; an annular rotor mounted in said housing for relative rotation in said annular chamber, and having therein a plurality of peripherally spaced, camming cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands in rotational engagement with said cylindrical surface; said hub having therein peripherally spaced slots, of predetermined inward depth from said cylindrical surface, opening toward said chamber and being disposed in planes at angles to radial planes passing through the axis of said hub; slide plates slidably received in said slots, and having end portions presented to ride over said lands and said cam surfaces between the lands upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber; conduit means for providing a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium through said relatively fixed hub to said slots for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward engagement with said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor; said slide plates having passage means for passage of predetermined proportions of fluid-pressure medium through said slide plates from said slots to the leading sides of the plates to create a pressure build-up within the corresponding said camming cavities, thereby to rotate said rotor in forward direction; and outlet passage means provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluidpressure medium from said camming cavities at the trailing sides of said slide plates.

2. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein said slots extend to spaced adjacency with said central passage.

3. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein said generally radially directed slots extend inwardly of said cylindrical hub surface in planes passing the central axis in spaced relation to the same.

4. A rotary engine as in claim 3, wherein said slots are of greater inward extent than the radius of the cylindrical hub surface.

5. A rotary engine as in claim 4, wherein said slide plates are of increased generally radially directed extent, for projection into said camming cavities to correspondingly increased depths.

6. A rotary engine as in claim 4, wherein said slide plates have cylindrical rollers mounted on said end por- 7 tions thereof, for fluid-sealing riding engagement with said cam surfaces and the lands.

7. A rotary engine as in claim 1, w hereinisaidislide plates have cylindrical rollers mounted on said end por- 8. A rotary engine as in claim I. wherein an elongated blade of resilient, fluid sealing material is anchored in each said land of said rotor. and has a peripheral extension for tight sealing engagement with the cytions thereof, for fluid-sealing riding engagement with lindrical surface of said hub.

said cam surfaces and the lands.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION ,559 June 2 1975 Dated George W. Meaoham Patent No. 5,891 Q Inventor(s) Column 1,

Column 2,

Column 5,

Column A,

Column 5 9 Claim 1,

[SEAL] It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

line 2, "18" should be 19o line 15, "the" should be The line 18, "fluidpressure" should be fluidpressure line E7, "ringlike" should be ring-like line 56, "fluidsealing" should be fluidsealing on seood to last line, "fluidpressure" should be fluid-pressure Signed and Scaled this twenty-eight D 3) Of October I 975 A ttest:

C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner nj'Parenrs and Trademarks RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer 

1. A fluid-pressure operated rotary engine comprising: a relatively fixed hollow housing; a hub non-rotatably affixed to said housing, and having an outer cylindrical surface defining an annular chamber within said housing; an annular rotor mounted in said housing for relatiVe rotation in said annular chamber, and having therein a plurality of peripherally spaced, camming cavities defining cam surfaces between intermediate bearing lands in rotational engagement with said cylindrical surface; said hub having therein peripherally spaced slots, of predetermined inward depth from said cylindrical surface, opening toward said chamber and being disposed in planes at angles to radial planes passing through the axis of said hub; slide plates slidably received in said slots, and having end portions presented to ride over said lands and said cam surfaces between the lands upon forward rotation of said rotor in said annular chamber; conduit means for providing a continuous supply of fluid-pressure medium through said relatively fixed hub to said slots for urging said slide plates radially outwardly toward engagement with said cam surfaces and said lands with rotation of said rotor; said slide plates having passage means for passage of predetermined proportions of fluid-pressure medium through said slide plates from said slots to the leading sides of the plates to create a pressure build-up within the corresponding said camming cavities, thereby to rotate said rotor in forward direction; and outlet passage means provided in said rotor for conducting the expended fluidpressure medium from said camming cavities at the trailing sides of said slide plates.
 2. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein said slots extend to spaced adjacency with said central passage.
 3. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein said generally radially directed slots extend inwardly of said cylindrical hub surface in planes passing the central axis in spaced relation to the same.
 4. A rotary engine as in claim 3, wherein said slots are of greater inward extent than the radius of the cylindrical hub surface.
 5. A rotary engine as in claim 4, wherein said slide plates are of increased generally radially directed extent, for projection into said camming cavities to correspondingly increased depths.
 6. A rotary engine as in claim 4, wherein said slide plates have cylindrical rollers mounted on said end portions thereof, for fluid-sealing riding engagement with said cam surfaces and the lands.
 7. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein said slide plates have cylindrical rollers mounted on said end portions thereof, for fluid-sealing riding engagement with said cam surfaces and the lands.
 8. A rotary engine as in claim 1, wherein an elongated blade of resilient, fluid sealing material is anchored in each said land of said rotor, and has a peripheral extension for tight sealing engagement with the cylindrical surface of said hub. 